Peacemaker returned Thursday with Season 2 and didn’t disappoint. Sure enough, it’s a follow-up to James Gunn’s Superman, which teases things to come for the DCU.
It’s James Gunn at his finest; there’s lots of action, adult humor, and debauchery. That’s where Gunn excels, and you can see the difference between how well Peacemaker is done compared to Superman. Not that Superman is bad – I liked it – but with Peacemaker comes no restraints, which fits with what I like to describe as “locker room” humor.
Paired perfectly is John Cena, who dishes out that locker room humor quite well, which lines up with his days as an athlete playing football (shout out to my buddy, Big Aaron, who played opposite Cena in the college championship game and won, the Buffalo State Bengals), and of course, his career as a WWE Superstar.
Following Season 1, where they all saved the world, they think they are on the road to happiness and success as they’re full-on superheroes. However, scratch that, things are even worse as they are all down in the dumps. The episode centers on Cena’s Peacemaker, Danielle Brooks’ Leota, and Jennifer Holland’s Emilia. They’re all broke, drive sh-itty cars, and live in squalor. I appreciated the attention to detail.
Note: Spoilers follow.
However, in contrast, and this ties into the greater DCU, a dimensional rift occurs where Peacemaker finds a universe where this version of himself has everything he ever wanted. It’s a universe where he is a superhero, his father and brother are still alive, and they’re all superheroes. They live in a huge house. But it’s an even more tragic tale for the DCU Peacemaker, who is responsible for killing his brother and father – and now himself. Wow. Honestly, wasn’t expecting that.
The Justice Gang scene was also done well. I wish they had their own series. Nathan Fillion has to be the breakout star of Gunn’s new DCU, which, yep, fits with Gunn’s approach to his movies and where his strengths lie: writing A-hole characters.
Other nods were cool as well: retconning the Justice League with the Justice Gang; Amanda Waller being ticked at them, hence why they are in the gutter (how’s that going to get resolved?); will the other universe Auggie and Keith seek revenge, creating some sort of dimensional war? Who’s really behind the dimensional rifts? Will Peacemaker ever find peace??? The Jared Leto references.
I also appreciated Frank Grillo’s reaction in the opening dance scene, as he lies on the bottom laughing. Yes, I noticed.
The Verdict
Peacemaker is a great show. Gunn and Cena excel. The supporting cast is just as good. Peacemaker is a must-watch for any comic book fan. 10/10.
